


Graduation

by Lgbarnecraft



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Meta shit mostly, Not Beta Read, The gang explores the outside world and thinks a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 06:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29995401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lgbarnecraft/pseuds/Lgbarnecraft
Summary: “He picks up scraps of conversationRadio and radiationFrom the dancers and romancersWith the answers — but no clue.”-Rush, Digital ManA series of oneshots and rumination on Danganronpa V3.
Kudos: 8





	1. #01~Killing Game Online

“I wanted this killing game. Don’t you see? I wanted the death, the despair, and the hope.” She stated.

“I know.” Shuichi sighed. “But... Why don’t you want to do anything else?”

Tsumugi pushed up her glasses. “Its been five years since that meta crapheap of an ending you caused. You got what you wanted, you ended the killing game! You rejected hope and despair! Great job.” She laughed. “Half the world applauded you as a true hero when you emerged, the other half was devastated.”

“I fail to see how that changes anything... The others have already agreed. The killing game is over, now it’s time to live.” Shuichi pleaded with Tsumugi.

They were standing in the courtyard, or at least, a recreation of it. It was perfectly identical, but so obviously sterile.

“You got what you wanted. But this is all I wanted.” She said, her demeanor changing from that of the cold mastermind to a saddened fan. “Isn’t this the best of both worlds? You get your real life back, or whatever life you choose, and I stay here. I play killing games, mastermind them, win them, die in them, but this time everything’s okay! This time, it really is just a game, even if it’s much more advanced than a visual novel, nobody actually dies in it. And everyone can play.”

“That’s not what this is about.”

“Isn’t it? I finally got what I wanted and here you are trying to get me to leave it.”

Shuichi frowned. “I just don’t understand why anyone would want this... What about us? Even if you were the mastermind, and even if you were running the show, weren’t we your friends? Don’t you want to live with us?”

“Living in a game is much easier than living in the world... At least, from all I can remember.” She was a mirror, an alter ego, perfectly replicated but not quite. “Yes... You were my friends. But in the outside world...” She seemed to come to some strange realization, like a memory coming to surface. “I can’t predict anything. I can’t count on anyone to act any way, I can’t count on anyone to stay... At least when they died in the game, there was a reason. There was closure. There was a point.”

He took a deep breath. “There was no point to the killing game. It was all a show. The point was to entertain people in despair by showing them hope prevailing. But it just created a cycle of dependence.”

“All I ever wanted to do was make other people happy.” Tsumugi let out a weak smile, staring to the digital sky. “My talent was the only one that wasn’t straight up given to me, but even then, it wasn’t real talent. I can remember... I think my first cosplay was Sayaka. Some people liked it, but others got angry with me. Said I wasn’t like her, in physical appearance or demeanor. Not thin enough, not pretty enough. But I loved those characters... That was the point. Without it, there would be nothing.”

“What does that matter? Didn’t you enjoy cosplay?”

“Cosplay was amazing, I could be someone complete different for a day if I wished. But... It isn’t like a disguise. In the real world, your flaws still show. Too thin, costume stitching not good enough, jawline not shaped right for the character...” Tsumugi looked angered by the memory. “All I wanted to do was bring my friends to the real world. But it wasn’t possible, I couldn’t be them, and nobody else could. I had to retreat into fiction.”

Shuichi took a step forward. “All I wanted to do was bring my friends to the real world. That’s why I’m here. Everyone’s waiting for you to log out.”

“Shuichi... If I leave, then my flaws will be so much more visible. And yours will be too...” She looked back up. “I’m afraid of that... I’m afraid of a flawed world. I’m afraid of that freedom of chance. What if I don’t like the way you grow when free? What if you don’t like how I grow? In a controlled environment like Danganronpa, our growth is always in a straight line. It’s comforting.”

A flash of light, Tsumugi disappeared, instead, that conniving pop star from the first game was present. “And now it’s even better. We can choose who to perform as, digitally,” Another flash, Chihiro’s smile beamed directly into Shuichi. “using the alter ego system. All your friends are here with you, ready to fight, ready to die, ready to show some kind of meaning along with hundreds of other players and killing games running simultaneously on the server! And no real death is involved!” Tsumugi returned, a grim expression on her face. “So, it isn’t your place to pull me out of the game. Leave.”

Shuichi stood his ground.

“Don’t you feel weird about how other people interpret you?” He asked.

“What? Like how I’m characterized in Fanfiction? Sure, sometimes it can be a little bit frustrating. But that’s the price you pay to know that you’re truly making other people happy!”

“Are you happy, anymore?”

“Tch-“ Tsumugi grunted. “Of course. I keep telling you. I wanted this killing game. Stakes, friendship, a reason to actually do something. The killing game is wonderful. I wanted it.”

“So did Rantaro. But he was much easier to convince than you.”

“Well he didn’t have much of a goddamn character arc! He was some nobody who survived off of chance, then when he had the chance to shine he used it to try and ruin MY game. Nobody knew him. So everyone loves him, they didn’t have time to see his flaws. Me? Nobody wants to play as me. Except well, me. And even then...” She trailed off. Then began laughing sadly. “Oh, you’re good, mister detective. Cornered me... Yes, being an established character can lead to some... Stagnation.”

“In the real world, your flaws are more apparent, but your flaws can change there too. Here, they’ll forever stay stuck to you. And stuck to all the characters of this game series.” He gave Tsumugi his hand. “They can keep their killing game. But you need to live. I know it seems scary after everything... But you aren’t alone. You don’t need to believe in fiction to enjoy life.”

She scoffed, looked at her surroundings, perfect, but unmoving. Fake.

“Will they... forgive me?”

“They will. I’m sure of it.”

Without much further delay. She took his hand.

———

>Exporting Alter Ego data: tsumugiShirogane.ae  
...  
....  
.....  
>Export complete.  
>Now logging out of Danganronpa Online.  
>”Thanks for playing, puhuhu~!”


	2. #02~Storyteller

Kokichi had agreed to go back to the real world. But he’d never agreed to stay aligned with Shuichi and the others. Rather, going straight out into the world, with uncertain aims. He’d visit every so often, but mainly, he was a traveler. So Shuichi and the others practically never saw him.

Shuichi had got a call, just before he was going to sit down and do some hobbyist detective work. On the other end was Kaito, shouting a lot. All Shuichi could really make out was “That rat bastard’s on channel 51!” So, now curious, he flipped through the TV guide to channel 51, a late night talk show of some sort was on. 

Sitting in the guest chair was Kokichi Ouma. 

“Now I wanna ask you,” the host began, “first off, big fan, but I wanna ask you about your even BIGGER fans...”

“Huh? And here I thought I was the most hated of that whole group...” Kokichi smiled, playing up his evil villain gig to the very end it seemed. “Look, Milton, I get that talking about heavy current events by name might cause ratings issues, but let’s not beat around the bush. You’re talking about Neo-DICE aren’t you?”

There was a bit of a silence on the show then. Neo-DICE. A loose anonymous title that had sprung out of Kokichi’s divisive role on the set of Danganronpa V3. Embracing a post-truth identity. At the lowest level, pranksters and wannabes. At the highest level, criminals and political figureheads. 

First of all, Shuichi was shocked as hell to see Kokichi on TV doing an interview. But he’d always kept in mind that Kokichi had also never spoken about Neo-DICE once. 

“Well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... And I’m pretty flattered. But I gotta say, you guys are pretty bad liars!” Kokichi stood up. “It’s one thing to lie to others, but on top of that, you lie to yourselves. You have to be the smartest guy in the room...” He stared into the camera, his eyes seemingly piercing the screen straight into Shuichi’s soul. “Second smartest guy in the room, in my case...”

Shuichi rolled his eyes. Classic Kokichi, another day, another new place, another antic.

“So you don’t support their actions?”

“Those guys can do what they want. But they’re sorely lacking in context. Seems they’re just using me to have some fun, or justify bad behavior...” He gave a pout. “I don’t like my image being used for such terrible acts of violence, though!” 

Shuichi could not tell if that tone of voice was sarcastic or not. That was definitely a bit of a problem, but more likely than not just an attempt to get a rise out of the host. He never quite understood Kokichi’s motive for continuing his role. Sure, Shuichi did detective work, but he was no ultimate. No celebrity. 

“Okay that’s enough of that one... So uh, you ever watch the final class trial? The one after... You know.”

Kokichi laughed. “All I really gotta say is, sometimes it feels really good to be right... That was the least boring trial of them all. I wish I could’ve been there for it...” Kokichi frowned, but the expression was unique, Shuichi knew it as his one tell that he wasn’t lying. “Actually... No. I don’t.” As quickly as that expression graced his face, it left him. “But hey, I’m partially responsible for ending an internationally funded death game ring. That’s a pretty big deal.”

“So did you enjoy all that scheming during the game? Or was it always your plan to use your conniving to help as many as possible escape and end the game for good?”

“Well... It ain’t too easy to recall but...” Since he was revived from Alter Ego data, memories of the killing game could be fuzzy at times. “I think I was the only one playing it like a true game. Everyone else saw it as a killing game. I saw it as just a game. Something to be exploited... To tell you the truth, and I don’t use that word lightly... I don’t care.” He delivered that last line bluntly. “If you’re going to just ask me about the killing game, you can just air reruns of that. Tell me something I care about.” 

“Uh, alright erm...” The host looked towards the backstage entrance, whispering as if worried they might have their show shut down or something. He nods and turns back to Kokichi. “Well what have you been up to? None of the tabloids or such have seen you with the rest of your castmates.”

“Eh, I tried to reconnect with them. They told me I was heartless and that they’d never accept me... Which is fair.”

Shuichi squinted. That was DEFINITELY a lie just then.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve been looking for some people... Mind if I soapbox for a minute?”

The host once again turns to his administration to see if it was okay, giving a thumbs up.

Kokichi turns to the camera.

“Hey hey! This is a message from everybody’s favorite Kokichi Ouma. Quite frankly, I’m pretty tired of people always asking me about that killing game business. I know, I know, I made a reeeeal mess back there, but that’s in the past now. But you know what? It hasn’t ended. People still carry those two syllables everywhere they go these days: V3.” Kokichi pointed at the screen. “Heh, anyways. There are people out there, who think they can still tell the story. By watching us, reporting on us...” He gave a devilish grin. “getting us on late night talk shows... So, to those people, I just have to say, stay tuned, because you’re going to be dismantled slowly... And we know you’re still out there.”

Shuichi sighed. He knew exactly who Kokichi was implying.

“Let’s give a big hand for tonight’s show sponsor-“ Kokichi smiled wide, staring directly at the host. “Team Danganronpa!”

At that instant, the host got out of his seat, using his hand to cover the camera up, before immediately cutting to commercial.

Shuichi turned the TV off.

_Team Danganronpa... Kokichi’s right. We won’t let you make a comeback._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. You can kinda tell I actually fucking adored V3’s meta ending and this story will explore many scenarios of its aftermath. I imagine Kokichi goes off on his own on various missions of equal mischief and virtue. Here he gets a gig on a late night show just to expose that the show is funded in part by Team Danganronpa, who may still operate in the shadows to encourage death gaming.
> 
> In short, screw “fixing” V3’s ending. Let’s explore it.


	3. #03~Ways To Go, Direction Unclear

#03~Null Heart, Under Construction

Who was he? Suddenly finding himself alive again, plucked from some sort of AI program, and learning about everything. It was another heavy blow. He had nothing to live for in that hell of a game, and nothing to live for here in the outside world. 

On the bright side, the mafia hadn’t murdered his family and the love of his life.

On the dark side, they didn’t even exist. There was no one to murder.

It was around this time that the thought crept in, every night. He couldn’t find anything to care about in this world. 

Shuichi and some of the others took to living as normal members of society. He knew that Kirumi was already trying to support political reforms in Japan. And that trickster Kokichi still had unfinished business with Team Danganronpa.

_”There are people out there, who think they can still tell the story. By watching us, reporting on us...”_

Was this world another fake? Was he still being led on by a plot thread? He supposed it mattered little. He’d found a secluded home in the mountains, somewhere he could meditate, do some busywork for an old biologist fellow, not have to think too hard about anything.

But his mind always wandered. Who was he before the game? Did he have something? What happened to the people, the friends, the families of those killing game participants? It had been five years. Someone would’ve had to come forward now, a parent, an old friend, wouldn’t anyone recognize them? 

Those memories of his false past, prison, the game. They consistently ate at him. He was initially relieved: They weren’t real. That fact just made them even worse, ironically. He went from having nothing, to potentially having something, but also having no way of verifying what it was he had. 

Though, if he threw his old life away for a killing game, it couldn’t have been much in the first place, right?

That was something he acknowledged upon his return to this world. Tsumugi had said in her final stand as the mastermind that the world was at peace, and thus, needed Danganronpa for entertainment. But in his five years watching the world just pass him by, he figured it was the opposite. Yes, it was peaceful, simple, but it was not ideal. Many people still suffered, at the hands of large systems they couldn’t even hope to understand. Corruption from the top down. The kind of groups that the Ryoma Hoshi of lore would’ve hunted down...

It wasn’t entertainment for the peaceful, not for the most part, instead it seemed more like an escape for the struggling. 

What did he struggle with before escaping to that false world...? Was it the same emptiness he felt now? Was it something more mundane? 

His thoughts always reached this fever pitch, all colliding at once to get to the goddamn point: the idea that nobody would find his body out here.

Before he can even think it, a purr to his left sounded off. He shifted in his bedsheets. The cat had jumped up. No doubt eager for some attention, even this late at night.

“Can’t you just let me sleep...?” Ryoma said sarcastically. The feline responded by rubbing his head into Ryoma’s hand, and he responded in kind by scratching the cat behind the ears. “Alright, alright.”

His mind had been in turmoil for only a month, but that flashback light made it seem like his whole lifespan was turmoil. Now, he just wanted to focus on something simple. His heart still felt like a void, but it was changed, it was more like he had his own slice of the world. A sort of Nirvana.

After all, he still had a ways to go before he could face them all again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter. Ryoma just kinda chilling in the wilderness trying to figure shit out. The next chapter will be a lot fluffier and feature the whole cast together.


End file.
